Hello,
My group & I have been playing Dark Heresy for the past year,(my players are rank 7/8)
and there was alwis an plot in the background


As I'm thinking of putting together an adventure for RogueTrade,
(A long term adventure rank 1-8)
I cant get my head around it,

The game reads to me like it is more player driven
- They make up a goal, they achieve there goal...and repeat
- I can see this working for the first 3 or 4 ranks,(Then I run the risk the players could get "bored")
- But usaly to keep the players interested they need a push, something to hold there interest


So today i'm asking,
what could that "Push" be? or maybe I have it all wrong?

Give me some ideas and maybe how i can drop it into the player driven goals


Thanks for your time & consideration

GLV

Hey GLV

Well, i am a rookie GM first of, i have only GMd around 2 or some campaigns so i am not the best person to ask, but here is my guess. I would prohaps make it something like what they did in Star Gate (didn't watch it but heard about it) in that they spent a whole season trying to find Atlantis and followed a paper trail until they got there, or maybe some thing like farscape. You could perhaps let the players say for example "i want to go to planet XXX and on the way they crash land you plot thread 1. I only got the rulebook this week so i need to read it (stupid exams) but from what i gathered, we are in uncharted territory, we can find what ever we like. So i hope that helps you

Ryorus

Hi GLV.

Here are some ideas for a 'push' in rogue trader game.

1) During one of the their endevours, another rouge trader interferes with pcs aims, and through his actions becomes a enemy of the pcs. This other rogue trader will often then clash with the pcs, becoming a long term nemisis.

2) On a world they are trading,exploring, they discover some thing of great importance, and must decide what to do with this infomation. A example would be finding archotech of great value to many parties, who would also like this for their own gain. This could tie in with the above idea of a long term enemy.

3) The rogue traders discover a lost/forgotten colony, and become involved with it. They could end up with exclusive trade rights with the world, which would have to be protected from other parties, like other rogue traders. Or become the colonys rulers, protecting it from raids by orcs or others.

hope these few ideas help you develop a rogue trader campaign.

Old Timer has the right idea. The key to a long term adventure is to create some long-term adversaries. Once you're done with an Endeavor, don't just move on and forget about it. As a GM, think of how you can weave the old Endeavor into the long-term plot.

For instance, say they colonize a planet. You don't want them to obsess about the one planet, but you don't want to forget about it either. Suggest Acquisitions that could increase production/defense/loyalty. Maybe it gets attacked. Make up some NPC's for the place.

Another thing is the players need a long-term goal. If they have a long-term goal, then the story becomes more player-driven as each Endeavor becomes geared toward achieving the goal rather than a 'one night stand' Endeavor.

The temptation, unfortunately, especially for younger players is to treat the Endeavors like World Of Warcraft Quests. "I look for the guy with the golden question mark". "I skim through the jibba-jabba without actually reading it, collect the items, turn them in, look for next quest..." As the GM, you can't let that happen. Players rarely get bored when they're driving the plot.

If it gets dull, and they're sufficiently powerful, have one of their ships suddenly explode. That'll wake them up as they scramble to find out who did it and seek their revenge....

I agree with the other fellows in general.

I try to keep two or three long term adversaries in the mix. Interaction with these will disrupt the plans of the players and give them something they must react to in order to accomplish their goals, outside of the structure of the endeavor. Bumps and turns in the road will give the players more time to develop. Enemies like:

- a Rogue Trader, who will raid your warehouses / manufactories / colonies / etc

- an alien race on the fringe who will oppose the players expansion

- perhaps interest from the Inquisition (if the players are beyond the edge of what is accepted) or the Ecclesiarchy (if the players have committed some religious gaffes) or the Adeptus Mechanicus (for messing in forbidden tech). The players need to be aware of these sorts snooping about and avoid doing anything overt to draw lethal attention upon themselves, and yet still need to make certain deals in order to accomplish their goals.

- I tend to build a pretty detailed background for a campaign, complete with different interrelated factions within each group (for example, factions within the Adeptus Mechanicus who wish to examine all alien tech, another who wants to destroy all alien tech, and a faction or two in between).

- Actions within scenarios can lead to more adventure - if the ship gets beat up and you are on the fringe , the players need to get back to a civilized planet and get the parts to make repairs - and when they do, a simple aquisition test might not do it, because their rival has bought up all the flux capacitors they need for repairs. So they need to get something else (floobian powder) that the trader needs to get the flux capacitor or whatever. These sort of scenarios are designed to throw the players off track a bit and make them react to the universe and deal with the consequences of their actions.

- Finally, maybe they find themselves in a position where they need to cooperate with their arch rival to survive a situation (a large xeno fleet approaches and only by acting together can the players escape / defeat the enemy).

The nature of the adversaries will depend to a degree on the type of Rogue Trader the group portrays - a peaceful explorer has different issues from a maniacal empire builder.

I see RT very similar in concept to the Traders that opened up China around 1840s(?). Tai Pan by James Clavell is a good book to read on the flavor of this era (not sure if it has any historical accuracy) - substitute SPACESHIP for CLIPPER SHIP and there you have it.

Godwinne

0) Make sure the Big bad escape. Give him "plot points" (fate points). The PCs defeat him he falls down a "bottomless" shaft. He activates a teleporter beacon. When the PCs see him next he has had a few limbs replaced, some cybernetic reconstruction, or is brain in a jar.

1)Piss off your PCs. Have them find something really nice or mysterious on one of their normal missions. Then have the bad guys attack the PCs ship completely out gunning it, beat the heck of it, and grab the loot. (A ship can take a beating and survive especially if the other side uses lances to take out guns, and engines.) Now it's personal. Sure the players will be upset, but they will greatly enjoy defeating the foe in the future.

2)Smack talk in a neutral place is great. (If the PCs know that they are screwed if they attack a foe on a certain port.) Also it's great over coms too. The RT in my group is fond of mooning the other side from the bridge.

3)Don't be afraid to strip the PCs of their ship, and/or equipment if the adventure calls for it. Maybe they got shot down, and they need to disable the fighters in a space port to be able to escape. Maybe they are kidnapped, and must escape an enemy ship/station.

If your players are anything like mine, try listening carefully to them while they're playing. Odds are they'll come up with insanely convoluted piece of paranoia that you'd never have thought of yourself, which you can then steal, modify a bit, and use for story hooks. If you do it well they'll not only never catch on, they'll be congratulating themselves for spotting your schemes early on.

Wow...

Thanks for all the replies,

I did like Maxim C, World of Warcraft comments, and I'll haft to work extra hard to prevent endeavors becoming boring quests
It looks like a have alot of work in front of me...

Reading the History of the expance has also given me, many background ideas


Well...thanks again,
and if anyone has more to say...please continu

GLV

Make and operate the Koronase Expanse before you begin. Highlight planets with special fun endeavors. Let the PC's roam the galaxy in a free for all. Don't worry about stating up any and eveything, just have a massive list of plot hooks prepared.

Have the antagonist operate while the PC's operate. Everyone has their goals. Make the galaxy breathing outside the eyes of the PC's.... this way if happenstance occurance occure.. it's all the more sweet. Other rogue traders are just as likely to find the xenos planet loaded with riches as you are. Are they going to engage or make a barter to split? What are the Elves doing? Where are the major Ork raiding parites at? Sector 7? Oh hey... the PC's are going there to find some lost xeno tech.

Don't forget the ship.

With thousands of souls on board, there is just as likely to be inner turmoil and hooks as there is outside the ship.

Thanks for the Post Nocturne,

I have lots to do,
But so far i've been making "maps" I find given the PCs the map to the hole Koronase Expanse is "cheating"

so...I've desided to make some maps(alot of them) some have missing planets some are not true etc...
and when the PCs talk to other rogue traders, other navigators, or do some recherch I will award them with a new map
depending on the number of degrees they pass by. (good idea/bad idea?)

after that i'll move to start building the rest on the expance one xeno at a time,


GLV

I personally view the map in the book as a map. But not one you can depend on. Sort of like those early maps of the world that were just all out of wack. Bad maps are much more fun than good maps....